Faults:

Everything made of rubber; valve guides; and rust.

General Comments:

The car had been stored for four years at a dry and hot storage facility in south Texas USA before I bought it. The exterior rubber fixtures, grommets, boots, hoses, gaskets, belts and seals had dry rot and had to be replaced within the first year of ownership. Replacement was costly and took some time, but the early Mercedes could easily be repaired if the owner knew what he was doing.

It was at this time that leaded premium gasoline was removed from the US market, and that was the cause of premature failure of the valve guides. Once these problems were sorted out with a head job, it was a most enjoyable car to drive for many years.

I especially liked the boxy styling, which is perfect for city driving and was a head turner. The styling was classic and it had a great presence. Although it wasn't a sports car per se, the handling was quite good, as was the performance. The air conditioner was cold and great to have in such a warm climate.

The non-metallic blue paint required waxing on a frequent basis in order to maintain a sheen. I had considered repainting it with a metallic paint, but could not justify the expense. The Michelin XZX radials have excellent performance and I only bought one set for it the entire time that I owned it.

It was a later move to Rhode Island that brought about a huge problem with rust due to the roads being salted during the winter. Trying to keep the rust from devouring the C250 became a major expense, precipitating the sale of the car. The new owner bought it with the intent of restoring it.

Faults:

Have changed starter, rear heated window and fuel injectors. I guess it is fair for the age of the car.

General Comments:

This is a fast, for its time, executive sedan. 185hp in 1972, with good torque (over 240Nm) and 4 disc brakes, was impressive.

A bit of a noisy engine over 120km/h, but in my opinion, it is music to classic car lover's ears.

The car pulls very well indeed. Good acceleration, as well as top speed. You can cruise at 160km/h for ages, and you still have enough power to spare, and can reach 200km/h top speed.

This top of the series model has wood trim on the glove box, as well as under the instrument cluster.

The central console was first introduced in this series.

I love its white steering wheel that Mercedes stopped fitting after autumn 1973.

This particular 1972 car has still the elegant triangular mini windows that unfortunately were discontinued in autumn 1973 with the facelift. It also wears the double front bumpers that were also reduced to a single one in 1973.

Automatic transmission works fine, and so do the powerful brakes.

Huge luggage department.

Air condition (York compressor) works fine and cools really well, even at high Greek summer temperatures.

All major and minor systems work (rear heated window, A/C, power steering, heating, blower, etc.)

Faults:

I had no major faults with this car.

All I did in 3 years of using the car on an almost daily basis, was to change the spark plugs once a year, and a new battery once.

General Comments:

The words that naturally come to my mind, every time I think of what to say about these cars, are endurance and reliability.

The W114 Mercedes are so reliable and strong, that after you own one, you start to understand why these cars were so expensive when new. It was the cost of quality materials and parts.

Just recently, after spending 10 months away from home, all I had to do was to throw some fresh gas in the tank, and it started like it had been driven on the previous day.

The engine performance is very good, especially at high RPM.